SCHOOL BUS HANDBOOK AND APPLICATION FORM

SY 2019-2020

SCHOOL BUS HANDBOOK AND APPLICATION FORM

Office of School Facilities and Support Services/Student Transportation Services Branch Department of Education ? State of Hawaii ? RS 19-0920 ? March 2019 (Rev. of 18-0970)

Introduction

This booklet contains important information that will enable you to register your child for public school bus service for the 2019-2020 school year. The Hawaii State Department of Education (HIDOE) strongly encourages current bus riders to pre-register as early as possible by submitting a completed bus pass application form (see inside back cover of this booklet) to the school office before May 31, 2019. New bus riders can register at their convenience.

Eligibility and Limitations

Students in grades K-5 must reside a mile or more from their home school and students in grades 6-12 must reside 1.5 miles or more from their home school to qualify for regular school bus service.

Regular school bus service is limited to transportation from the residential address of record to school and back home again.

Students who reside within these minimum qualifying distances; students who attend a school outside the home school attendance area; and students who require transportation to destinations other than home do not qualify for regular school bus service. However, exceptions can be made on a space available basis. Parents who wish to apply for space available bus service must submit a Request to Ride the School Bus on a Space Available Basis (Form CS-101, available at the school office) to the school principal along with the completed bus pass application form.

CAUTION: Approval or disapproval for space available bus service can take up to four weeks. Your child will not be permitted to ride the bus until your application is approved. Parents must make alternative transportation arrangements during the interim period.

Payment Plans

All bus riders (except those who are approved for free bus service) must pay the prevailing transportation fee. Three payment plans are available:

1. Annual ? $135 one way for the year (AM only or PM only) or $270 round trip; 2. Quarterly ? $36 one way per quarter (AM only or PM only) or $72 round trip; 3. Bus Coupons ? $12.50 per sheet of ten coupons at one coupon per ride (AM or PM)

The annual plan is best for students who will use the school bus as their primary means of getting to and from school. The quarterly plan is best for students whose transportation plans might change during the course of the school year. Parents can upgrade, downgrade or cancel a quarterly bus pass at the end of the academic quarter but must pay for the next quarter bus pass before the start of the next academic quarter. Bus coupons are best for students who intend to ride the school bus only occasionally.

IMPORTANT: HIDOE has a firm NO REFUND policy on all bus pass purchases.

HIDOE urges you to consider your child's transportation plans carefully before purchasing a bus pass. All bus pass sales are final.

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Payments

Please do not attach your payment to the application form. Payments can only be accepted at the school office on designated days and times, and only after your application is reviewed and approved.

Once your application is approved, you will be instructed to remit your payment either in person or by mail. Accepted payment forms include cash, cashier's checks or money orders. Your child's school may opt to include personal checks as an acceptable payment form; please call to confirm. However, bus coupons can only be purchased with cash.

Returned Checks

If your child's school chooses to accept personal checks to purchase bus passes, there will be a $25 fee for all returned checks. When this happens, bus service for your child will be immediately suspended. To restore service, you must pay the fee plus the cost of the bus pass to the school office.

Free Bus Pass

Students who meet one or more of these qualifiers are eligible to receive a free annual bus pass:

Student receives free meals (subject to approval); Student is a foster child; Student is homeless and eligible for benefits under the McKinney-Vento Act (MVA); Student has an Individual Education Plan (IEP) or Modified Plan (MP) that includes

transportation as a related service (special education only); Student is directed by HIDOE to attend a school outside of the home school attendance area; Student has at least three older siblings who pay the transportation fee at their respective

schools.

If your child meets one or more of these qualifiers, please complete Part 3 of the bus pass application form, making sure to check off all of the qualifying categories that apply.

School Transfers

If your child transfers to another school during the school year and is eligible for bus service at the new school, any bus pass credit that you have at the former school will be transferred to the new school.

Bus Pass Cards

Once payment is made, your child will be given a temporary bus pass to use until the bus pass card is printed. Students must surrender the temporary bus pass to the school office in order to receive the permanent bus pass card. Bus passes and bus coupons are nontransferable and are valid only on the assigned bus route.

Students are expected to display their bus pass (or render a bus coupon) to the bus driver upon demand. Failure to do so may result in disciplinary action and service disruptions as follows:

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Elementary and Middle School Students who fail to display a valid bus pass in the mornings will be transported to school then immediately reported to the school principal. Students who fail to display a valid bus pass in the afternoons may be required to obtain a temporary bus pass from the school office before boarding the bus. Repeat offenders will not be permitted to board the bus.

High School Students who fail to display a valid bus pass in the mornings upon demand may be refused a ride to school and will be immediately reported to the school principal. Students who fail to display a valid bus pass in the afternoons may be required to obtain a temporary bus pass from the school office before boarding the bus. Repeat offenders will not be permitted to board the bus.

Fraud ? Students who attempt to fraudulently use an expired bus pass or a bus pass that does not belong to them will be reported to the school principal for discipline and will have the bus pass immediately confiscated.

Lost Bus Pass ? There is a $5 fee to replace a lost, stolen or damaged bus pass. Free bus recipients will receive up to two free replacement bus passes then will be required to pay the $5 replacement fee.

Bus Stop Information

Parents can find bus stop information online at . The landing page will display a map of the fifty United States. Simply click on Hawaii, then click on Hawaii Department of Education. Enter your home address and zip code to find the bus stop locations and pick up times closest to your residence. If no bus stop locations are listed for your school, please contact your school office or your District Transportation Office (see Contact Us - Page 4).

Video Cameras and GPS Tracking

HIDOE is committed to ensuring your child's safety, health and well-being at all times. To that end, parents are advised that HIDOE utilizes video cameras and GPS tracking devices on all of its school bus vehicles statewide. Guidelines on the restricted use, application and retention of video surveillance files and vehicle tracking files can be obtained by contacting your local school bus transportation office (see Contact Us).

Complaints

If you have a concern about your child's bus service, bus driver or route schedule, please contact the school principal or your local district transportation office immediately (see Contact Us - Page 4).

Discipline

Students who misbehave on the bus pose a serious health and safety risk to all passengers and are therefore subject to disciplinary action by the school principal. When an incident occurs, the bus driver is required to report it to the school principal within two school days. The principal will conduct an investigation of the incident and notify you of the outcome. If your child is precluded from riding the bus due to disciplinary action, you will not receive a refund for the unused portion of the bus pass.

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The Passenger Safety Code (see page 5) is a set of rules that all bus riders are expected to comply with before the ride, during the ride and after the ride. Please discuss these rules with your child.

Contact Us

You may send questions and comments to us via email at STSB/HIDOE@notes.k12.hi.us. Our mailing address is 1042 Young Street, Honolulu, HI 96814. Our phone number is 586-0170, and our fax number is 586-0173.

You may also contact us by phone at these convenient district locations:

HAWAII STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION ? STUDENT TRANSPORTATION SERVICES BRANCH

Phone

Fax

Oahu ? Honolulu District Schools Oahu ? Central District Schools Oahu ? Leeward District Schools Oahu ? Windward District Schools Kauai ? All Schools Maui/Molokai ? All Schools East Hawaii ? All Schools West Hawaii ? All Schools

586-3343 622-0537 687-9519 233-3680 241-7120 243-1171 974-6411 327-9500

586-3344 622-6436 685-2052 233-3682 274-3508 984-8008 974-6604 347-9580

SCHOOL BUS COMPANIES BY ISLAND

OAHU Ground Transport Inc. (Main Office)

(Leeward Office) Robert's Hawaii School Bus (Main)

833-4222 833-4222 832-4886

839-4600 676-5529

KAUAI Akita Enterprises Ltd. Yamaguchi Bus Service

MAUI Ground Transport Inc. Robert's Hawaii School Bus

EAST HAWAII Akita Enterprises Ltd. Robert's Hawaii School Bus

WEST HAWAII Iosepa Transportation

Robert's Hawaii School Bus

245-5344 212-1570

442-3055 871-2639

966-7396 966-7171

345-3647 326-1190

245-3246

442-3053 871-4985

966-7739

312-6385 or 315-7945 329-4039

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All students riding school buses shall abide by the following requirements:

1) At the designated school bus stop and while boarding, students shall: A) not bring children who will not be passengers on the bus or animals to the bus stop; B) be on time at the designated school bus stop to help keep the bus on schedule; C) stay off the road while waiting for the bus and conduct themselves in a safe manner while waiting; D) not talk loudly at bus stops which may disturb nearby residents; E) not litter or deface public or private property at bus stops; F) not trespass on private property while waiting at bus stops; G) line up in an orderly, single file and wait until the bus comes to a complete stop before attempting to board the bus; H) walk on the side of the road facing traffic to get to the bus stop if there are no sidewalks; I) not bring articles on the bus that may cause injury to passengers or carry on articles which cannot be stored safely under the seat; and J) use the handrail and watch their step when boarding the bus.

2) While on the bus, students shall: A) keep hands and heads inside the bus at all times; B) not scream, talk or laugh loudly, engage in horseplay, or otherwise behave in a manner that may divert the driver's attention and result in an accident; C) treat bus equipment as valuable furniture. The offender or the offender's parent shall pay for damage to seats, windows, and other equipment; D) not eat or drink any beverages on a regular trip to and from school unless necessary for medical reasons; E) not tamper with the bus or any of its equipment; F) keep books, packages, coats, and all other objects out of the aisle; G) remain in the bus in case of a road emergency, unless directed to do otherwise by the bus driver; H) not throw anything out of the bus window; I) remain in their seats while the bus is in motion; J) not smoke, drink, gamble, fight or engage in any other behavior that may endanger health or morals; and K) obey the driver.

3) When leaving the bus and crossing streets, students shall observe the following procedures: A) leave the bus only at regular bus stops, unless proper authorization has been given in advance by the school principal; B) use the handrail and watch their step when getting off the bus; and C) When crossing the street at a bus stop, students shall walk twelve feet in front of the bus and look to see if the alternating red lamps on the top portion of the school bus are flashing. If the lamps are flashing, they shall look at the driver and wait for the driver to give the signal to cross. If the red lamps are not flashing, students shall not cross the street and shall notify the driver that the red warning lamps are not working and ask the driver for assistance in crossing the street.

(Reference: ?8-28-6 Passenger Safety Code, Hawaii Administrative Rules)

Students shall ride designated buses at specified times and locations as assigned, and may be assigned to sit in specific seats.

Bus passes are not transferable and will be confiscated if they are given to another student.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Hawaii Department of Education, Student Transportation Services Branch

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HAWAI`I STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION (HIDOE) STUDENT TRANSPORTATION SERVICES BRANCH

APPLICATION FOR STUDENT TO RIDE SCHOOL BUS

SCHOOL USE ONLY: Student qualifies for free pass?

YES NO Principal's initial:

Please complete all parts of this form. Submit a separate form for each child to the bus driver or school office.

PART I: Acknowledgement. Applicant must sign and date below.

"I acknowledge and accept HIDOE's "No Refund" policy on all school bus pass purchases. I agree to comply with the transportation policies and procedures of HIDOE. I acknowledge that HIDOE may utilize video cameras to monitor student behavior on school buses. When applicable, I authorize the Student Transportation Services Branch to verify my child's free lunch status with the School Food Services Branch."

Parent/Guardian signature:

Date:

PART II: Student Information (must fill out completely). Select "Home School" if the student lives within the school's attendance area, if not select "School of Origin."

School name:

Home school School of origin (MVA only)

Student's legal name: Last name

Home address: Street no. Street name

Parent/Guardian: Last name

First name

Grade: MI

First name

Apt. no. City Contact phone:

Zip code

PART III: Bus Service and Payment Plan Selection. (Please complete Parts A and B.) CAUTION: All bus pass sales are final.

A. Service Plan (choose ONE of the following): B. Payment Plan (choose ONE of the following):

NO REFUNDS ROUND TRIP

Home to school; school to home; same route;

MORNING ONLY Home to school only

ANNUAL: QUARTERLY:

Round trip: One way: Round trip: One way:

$270.00 $135.00

$72.00 $36.00

AFTERNOON ONLY

School to home only

COUPONS (Cash Only): Sheet of 10: $12.50/sheet

FREE

Must complete PART IV below.

PART IV: Complete this section ONLY if applying for FREE bus transportation. Your child may be eligible for a free bus pass if they qualify for one or more of the following. Please check that apply.

Student receives free meal (subject to approval); Student is a foster child; Student is homeless (please attach form MV-1); Student has IEP/MP (special education only); Student is directed by HIDOE to attend a GE school;

Student has 3 or more older siblings who pay for their bus passes:

1. Name: School:

2. Name: School:

3. Name: School:

Form ST-70

A-1

(01/2019)

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